Three Good with Three Bad After Two SEC Weekends for Arkansas

Dramatic homer, nonchalant reliever among highlights for Hogs against Auburn

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn stands on the field before a game against Tennessee at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. / Wesley Hitt/GettyImages

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Arkansas Razorbacks wrapped up another successful weekend in the SEC, taking the first two games of a three-game series against the Auburn Tigers and held a four-run lead before the Tigers stormed back. A look at three good and three bad things from this weekend. 

Three Up

Ryder Helfrick’s home run still might be traveling somewhere through a field in Alabama. The catcher had been relegated to third on the depth chart after being widely regarded as 1A and 1B with Hudson White to start the season. Coach Dave Van Horn heaped praise on the freshman throughout fall camp but after starting the season 2-for-19, Parker Rowland when White slid over to designated hitter in Saturday’s lineup.

But when acting head coach Matt Hobbs pinch-hit for Rowland in the seventh inning, Helfrick was the last catcher left on the bench. Not only did Helfrick smoke a fastball 405-feet homerun for the game-winning RBI in the top of the ninth, but he also gunned down Cooper Weiss on the basepaths after Auburn ran on Rowland at will for seven innings. As if he needed more drama for his first game action in two weeks, a 30-minute delay for a home plate umpire change didn’t faze a player with just six starts under his belt. 

“I didn’t really know what was going on at first,” Helfrick said. “I was out at the mound. I think when we got back to the dugout, everybody just stayed the same. Everybody stayed on course.” 

Will McEntire 

The Arkansas Razorbacks would not be a top-15 team without Will McEntire. No hyperbolic statements here. McEntire pitched on back-to-back days with three scoreless innings where he retired all nine batters and struck out five across two high-leverage appearances. McEntire is now second on the team in both innings (28 ⅔ ) and ERA (1.57). The Bryant native has been unscored upon in his last four outings. 

“I’ve really worked on preparing my body this season,” McEntire said. “I lost a lot of weight this offseason. I feel like our coaches do a really good job with management. Like they won’t overuse a guy to the point where he needs to or not throw the next day. They have really good game management.”

Jared Sprague-Lott 

After a blistering start to the season with Peyton Stovall out with a broken foot, Jared Sprague-Lott potentially could have seen his play team slowly start to diminish as SEC play kicks into high gear. Sprague-Lott had just two hits in his first four conference appearances, but a 2-for-4 day with a three-run homer puts another wrinkle in the crowded infield. 

Three Down:

Brady Tygart 

After being able to eliminate the walk staff-wide, both Tygart and Mason Molina have struggled with command in conference play. Tygart now has nine walks and Molina with seven in two SEC starts. It’s the No. 1 team in the country so picking at straws is going to happen. Molina has a 0.87 ERA in 10 ⅓ innings. Tygart’s season ERA is still under two. However, Tygart only lasted 3 ⅔ and Molina pitched only five frames, placing strain on the bullpen for the first time on Sunday with McEntire unavailable. As a result, the bullpen cracked under the stress of Sunday’s series finale. 

“He’s [Tygart] spinning off the ball a little bit and he’s not staying through the ball as well as he was earlier in the season,” pitching coach Matt Hobbs said. “It’s something that we have to work on and fix. He’s aware of it, I’m aware of it, it’s just something we’re going to have to work through.”

Bermuda Triangle Defense:

Ben McLaughlin has been one of the team’s best hitters and has rightfully earned the starting first baseman job. However, a third baseman by trade, some of his inexperience came out against a speedy Auburn team. The Tigers managed to lay down back-to-back bunts in the seventh inning of Saturday’s game and twice this weekend, miscommunication between McLaughlin and the pitcher could have potentially cost the Razorbacks an out. With how dominant the pitching staff has been, teams with any hint of speed are going to do anything possible to get on base, forcing the Razorbacks to shore up its bunt defense.

Running Wild:

White and Rowland are now a combined 1-for-16 throwing out potential base stealers. Helfrick is 2-for-2 with the aforementioned critical caught stealing in the bottom of the eighth in Friday’s game, but teams will look to take advantage of the one glaring weakness of the Razorbacks. Getting baserunners against the Hogs is really hard, but once they’re on, they could wreak havoc on the basepaths. Auburn finished the weekend with seven steals, including one by a catcher. 

“I think runners are willing to run when you give them the bases,” Hobbs said after Auburn stole five bases on Friday. “I don’t think we did a good job of controlling the running game at all today.” 

The Razorbacks now take on Arkansas-Little Rock Tuesday 6:30 p.m. back at Baum-Walker Stadium. The game will be streamed on SEC Network+.

(Photo by Wesley Hitt / GettyImages